Skillet Cornbread
Crisp-edged, lightly sweet cornbread baked in a hot cast-iron skillet. Warm with honey butter for breakfast, split and toasted the next morning.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140g) yellow cornmeal, medium grind buy
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour buy
- 2 tablespoons sugar buy
- 2 teaspoons baking powder buy
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda buy
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) buttermilk buy
- 2 large eggs buy
- 5 tablespoons (70g) butter, divided buy
- Honey and soft butter, to serve buy
Method
- Put a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and let it cool a little.
- Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs, then whisk in the melted butter.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until no dry streaks remain. A few lumps are fine.
- Carefully take the hot skillet out, add the last tablespoon of butter and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Pour in the batter; it should sizzle at the edges.
- Bake 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden, the edges are deep brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the skillet 5 minutes, then cut into wedges. Serve warm with honey and butter.
Cook's notes
- The skillet handle stays oven-hot for a long time. Keep a towel or mitt on it.
- Two tablespoons of sugar makes it lightly sweet. Use up to 1/4 cup for a sweeter, cake-like cornbread, or leave it out for a plain one.
- For tomorrow's breakfast, split a leftover wedge, toast it cut side down in a buttered pan, and top it with a fried egg.
What this costs to make
$0.19 per serving · $1.52 for the whole recipe (8 servings)
| Butter, stick | $0.61 |
|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A large | $0.38 |
| Milk, whole | $0.33 |
| Flour, all-purpose | $0.15 |
| Sugar, white | $0.06 |
| Total (priced items) | $1.52 |
Priced 5 of 10 ingredients using U.S. average retail prices for 2026-09, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED. Not included: (140g) yellow cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, Honey and soft butter. These are national averages — not what you will pay. Store, region and week all move them.
Why this works
The hot skillet is the whole trick. Batter poured into preheated, buttered cast iron starts setting the moment it lands, which is what gives cornbread its crisp, browned edges and bottom; batter poured into a cold pan just bakes soft. The buttermilk's acid reacts with the baking soda for lift and a tender crumb, and the baking powder does the rest in the oven. The flour matters too: cornmeal alone has no gluten, so an all-cornmeal batter bakes up crumbly. Equal parts flour and cornmeal give a bread that holds together when you slice it.
If it goes wrong
Dry and crumbly usually means overbaked, so start checking at 20 minutes. It can also mean too much cornmeal, which happens when you scoop it with the cup instead of spooning it in and leveling. Pale, soft edges mean the skillet wasn't hot enough: give it the full preheat with the oven. A dip in the middle means it came out early or the baking powder is old. Sticking means the skillet needed more butter, or its seasoning has worn thin.
Make it your own
Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar, or a cup of corn kernels (thawed frozen corn is fine), with the last few strokes of mixing. For a little heat, add a finely chopped jalapeño. Without cast iron, use a greased 9-inch round or square metal pan, put the batter into the cold pan, and expect softer edges and an extra few minutes in the oven. The batter also makes 12 muffins: bake in a greased tin at 400°F (200°C) for 15–18 minutes.
Storing and reheating
Wrapped tightly, cornbread keeps 2 days at room temperature. It dries out in the refrigerator, so for longer, freeze wedges wrapped one by one for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–10 minutes, or split and toast in a buttered pan.
More breakfast ideas
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
Tall, cloud-soft pancakes with crisp golden edges. The buttermilk and a rested batter do all the heavy lifting.
Classic French Toast
Custardy in the middle, caramelized at the edges. Day-old bread is the move, and a splash of vanilla makes it sing.
The Perfect Cheese Omelette
Soft, just-set, and folded around a melty middle. Low heat and constant motion turn three eggs into something French-bistro good.